Stealing the Key
by Death by Bambi Tapes
Summary: IT'S FINISHED!! It's been two years since Locked Up for Good~Sarah's escaped from Jareth, but is not yet totally free. To do that, she needs the help of a woman who she desn't trust, and a young thief that she does.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone from Labyrinth.  
  
A/N: This is the sequel to Locked Up for Good. If you're reading this and don't understand because you have not read Locked Up for Good, you might want to... might.  
  
--------------------  
  
"You aren't playing the game right, Kitten." Jareth said, furious.  
  
Sarah glared at the goblin King, eye-to-eye. "It is not a game I ever agreed to play, Jareth."  
  
The Goblin King chuckled to himself. "You been here going on two years now, Sarah. Have you not yet realized that you have to listen to me?"  
  
Sarah blinked her eyes. "Huh? Oh, sorry, were you saying something?"  
  
Jareth looked down at her with wrath in his eyes. "Listen, Sarah, there are several concepts you do not seem to grasp. I OWN you-"  
  
"And? I owned my dog, but he still crapped on the rug."  
  
"That's not the same."  
  
"Sure it is, Jareth. You've said before I was your 'kitten'."  
  
"I really have to watch what I say." Jareth mumbled to himself.  
  
"Or else it will come back and bite you on the ass." Sarah put in helpfully.  
  
Jareth cursed with anger and slammed her against the bars of her cage. "Bad Kitten!" he hissed, then harshly kissed her  
  
She quickly kneed him, and he doubled over in pain.  
  
"Bad boy, Jareth." she said darkly, standing over the wincing King.  
  
"Um...Milord?" A palace servant stood in the doorway of her 'room'.  
  
"What do you want?" Jareth spat, pain ebbing every word.  
  
"The Lady Lyndel is here, Milord."  
  
An evil grin spread across Jareth's face, and he vanished.  
  
:What is that all about?: Sarah wondered, then shrugged it off. :Oh, well. I'll just have to annoy the good King a little more: and she went back to work.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Lyndel?" Jareth asked as he entered the room.  
  
"Yes, Jareth?" A dark haired woman sat across the room from this throne.  
  
"Milady, I am willing to forge a peace treaty."  
  
Lyndel cocked an eyebrow. "And what inspired this sudden change of heart, your majesty?"  
  
"I wish for all the lands in your kingdom west of the Great River-"  
  
Lyndel laughed. "You're mad, Jareth. What in the world would make me want to do that?"  
  
Jareth held up a gloved hand with a sly smile on his face. "I wish for the lands in return for your daughter's freedom."  
  
Lyndel froze on the way to the door. She was clearly shocked, but quickly recovered, putting a look of amusement upon her face. "Daughter? What are you talking about, Jareth? I am not wed."  
  
"Oh, but you were, Lynda. Aboveground your were married to Robert Williams. Later on, you had a daughter. Sarah."  
  
He went on, relishing the anger on Lynda's face."If I had found out but a little earlier, I could have ended this comedy of a war we have going on a long time ago."  
  
Jareth leaned forward. 'Well, Milady? What have you to say?"  
  
"I'll be back, your highness." Lynda spat, poison dripping from each word. "I need to speak with my councilor."  
  
With that, she disappeared. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own any places or characters from Labyrinth.  
  
A/N: yay! Now I can change my summery because what I want to put up HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER! If I had put it up under the summery before, it wouldn't make any sense. So be happy, I have spared your mind from becoming like MINE!  
  
--------------------  
  
Lynda walked through the Goblin Town. :Councilor Whyndam refuses to allow us to save her.: Lynda's eyes glowed with determination. :Well, I'll just have to act upon my own council.:  
  
She walked up several flights of stairs to a landing, where she was stopped by a guard.  
  
"No one is allowed past this point but for the King himself."  
  
Lynda set her chin stubbornly. "It is the King who gave me permission to enter here, Doorwarden."  
  
He thinks for a second, then steps to the side, obviously having doubts. :So, the boy isn't as stupid as he seems.:  
  
Lynda waits for the doorway to open. She stepped into the cage. For a moment the room seemed empty, then Lynda caught sight of a sleeping figure lying in the corner. Lynda rushed over, then knelt next to her daughter.  
  
"Sarah." The queen of the woodland realm shook the girl awake.  
  
Sarah opened her eyes then blinked in surpise. She whispered, in a strangled voice, one single word. "Mommy?"  
  
--------------------  
  
"Yes, Sarah, come on." With that Lynda pulled her daughter to her feet.  
  
"But-mom?"  
  
"Not now, Sarah, we have to go." She stops, and turns to her daughter. "Do you have anything against rats?"  
  
"Nothing, as long as its name's not Jareth."  
  
"Good." Lynda waved her hand, and Sarah turned into a small, brown rat.  
  
"Sorry." Lynda whispered as she slipped Sarah the Rat into a large pocket.  
  
She calmly walked out the door. "Milady.' the Doorwarden bowed politely. Lynda nodded to him, and walked down the stairs.  
  
--------------------  
  
Taking the rat out of her pocket, she put it on the ground and waved her hand. Sarah emerged from the rat form.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for?" Sarah squealed.  
  
Lynda cocked an eyebrow. "You said you didn't mind rats."  
  
Sarah was furious. "There's a difference between minding them, and wanting to BE a rat. I'm going to have nightmares for MONTHS!"  
  
The Queen rolled her eyes. "It has never bothered me. I've been a rat many times."  
  
"You're telling me."  
  
Sarah's mother seemed to grow. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
The daughter glared, and crossed her arms. "What it means is-"  
  
They were cut off by a loud yell from above the town.  
  
"We've been found out." Lynda said calmly.  
  
The Goblin Army poured through the gate. "Come on! This way!" Lynda said sternly, grabbing her daughter's arm.  
  
Sarah pulled it away. "No! I'm going this way." And she took off toward the right.  
  
Lynda swore, and chased after her.  
  
------------------------  
  
Lynda had run after Sarah for a couple minutes, then suddenly Sarah stopped. Lynda nearly crashed into her, but stopped herself in time.  
  
"Sarah? What are you doing?"  
  
"It's a dead end."  
  
Sure enough, there was a dead end. (A/N: Perfectly timed, wasn't it?) They both heard the goblins closing in.  
  
"Damn, there's no way-" Sarah started.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
They both looked to their left, to see an opened door, with an enshrouded figure in the doorway.  
  
"Come here!"  
  
The girls were doubtful for a moment, then the figure sighed. "Come here or the Gob-"  
  
They rushed into the house, Sarah knocking over their helper. As the figure fell, it slammed the door shut with a grunt.  
  
"Who are you?" Lynda asked, wasting no time.  
  
"Couldn't you at least have waited until I hit the ground?" The stranger pulled himself to his feet, and took off his hood, his bangs just falling into his gray eyes. He brushed them away, then continued, looking out the window. "You don't need to know my name."  
  
Lynda stiffened. "I am the Queen of the Woodland Realm. I have asked you your name, and you will give it to me."  
  
He turned to her, grinning. "I hold allegiance to no one."  
  
Slow realization hit Lynda, you could see it on her face. "I know who you are, you're that thief. Hawk something-or-other."  
  
His grin just grew larger as he bowed dramatically. "Milady." he said in a mocking voice.  
  
Sarah laughed, and her mother turned to glare at her."We're leaving now, Sarah. We can not spend our time with criminals."  
  
"You go out there, you will be captured." Hawk said bluntly. "Everyone will be looking for you. They all have loyalty towards Jareth. Like it our not, your majesty, I'm your only hope."  
  
-------------------- Yay. That was fun. Fun fun fun. Yay lots of fun. there's more to come. Lots and lots more. And when this one's done, I'm making this a trilogy. Yay lots of fun. Hehe I had WAAAY too much CAFFINE! WA-HOOO! 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places in Labyrinth. Anything or anyone your not familiuar with and is not in Labyrinth, is either mine, or you missed it during the movie.  
  
A/N: Hi! I don't have anything really to say, so I don't know why a put up the Author's note. ANyway, thanx for reviewing Gwenevire, Goodness and CASSIE! Cassie, you loser! *calms down* Sorry, all!  
  
-------------------- The sat for a while within the small house, waiting while the Goblins looked around, then left.  
  
"Why didn't they look into the house? They could have found us right away." Lynda muttered.  
  
Hawk laughed. "Because they are stupid." Lynda glared at him and he added. "Milady."  
  
"We need to go, Sarah. We need to get out of here." Lynda grabbed her daughter's arm, and pulled her towards the door.  
  
"I wouldn't go that way if I were you." The thief put in rather lazily. Lynda and Sarah turned to look at him as he fan a hand through his blond hair.  
  
Lynda looked at him, disgusted. "Then where, praytell, should we go?"  
  
Hawk cocked an eyebrow. "You're strange, Milady. You treat me like some scum, then ask for my advice?"  
  
"How would we get out of here?" Sarah put in, quietly and polite. He laughed.  
  
"'Tis my secret, milady."  
  
"Please? We need to get out of here. Away from Jareth."  
  
Pity filled the young man's eyes. "You couldn't evern if you tried, sweetheart." Lynda growled a warning and he corrected himself. "I mean, Milady."  
  
Sarah looked from her mother to the thief, then back again. "Wait. Why can't I leave?"  
  
"It's magic. Magic, plain and simple. You belong to the Goblin King, he has his claims on you. With the magic he's using, he can know where you are all the time- he needs not of those toy crystals he's always playing with. He can track you. Of course, that's pretty much unnessary. You cannot leave him. Your chained and locked to him."  
  
She looked down at herself, and Hawk laughed. "Magic, Sarah. Magic."  
  
Determination set in her eyes. "It's a Labyrinth. I can hide from him."  
  
Her mother tried to hide her amusement, and Hawk rolled his eyes. "Sarah. It's his Labyrinth. He knows it better than anyone could wish to."  
  
"Then the lock. How do I get rid of it?"  
  
"You need the key."  
  
"What is the key?"  
  
The thief moved gracefully from the chair in the corner where he had been sitting to perch on the table by the window, and looked out. "Alas- that, sadly, is where my knowledge of this ends."  
  
"Then what help are you to us?" Sarah said shrilly.  
  
Hawk turned to glare at her with cold, ice-blue eyes. "The difference between life and death."  
  
She swollowed. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Good." his eyes warmed up. "Now, let's leave." He stood, and moved to a doorway, then paused and turned to Lynda. "If milady wishes, that is."  
  
Lynda sighed. "Very well."  
  
Hawk moved to the door, and opened it. They all stepped inside. It was a normal room, with a table, a bed. several chairs and a wardrobe. He moved to the wardrobe and opened it. The thirf then removed all the clotehs and reached in to the bottom. Sarah heard a latch click, and he pulled out the bottom to the wardrobe.  
  
"Come on." He nimbly climbed down the ladder within the wardrobe. The women followed him, and found him waiting at the bottom. They quietly turned and walked down a hallway.  
  
A crash came from the way they had just come. Sarah and Lynda turned and jumped backwards. A low, throaty growl caused Lynda to turn- Sarah was to preoccupied to hear it. Hawk was gone. In his place was a large, black wolf. 


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own no characters or places from Labyrinth. The only person I own is the thief, Hawk.  
  
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, Goodness and Silver Space  
  
--------------------  
  
The lone wolf took off down the hallway towards the crash with a howl. It plowed through Lynda and Sarah, tearing down the corridor so fast that it's paws sent up dust and pebbles.  
  
"Come on, Sarah, let's go!" Lynda grabbed her daughter's arm again and began to pull her down the hall.  
  
"No! Where's Hawk!?" Sarah wrenched her arm away from her mother.  
  
"He's abandoned us! Come, Sarah! We must leave!"  
  
"No! Hawk! Hawk, where are you?!"  
  
The wolf chose that time to come trotting back to the two women. He carried a squirming dwarf in his mouth.  
  
"Let me go!" The wolf opened his mouth at the dwarf's request.  
  
"Good." the dwarf said after he stood and brushed himself off. Then he looked at the two companions, and his mouth dropped open.  
  
"Sarah?"  
  
"Hoggle!" Sarah cried, and bent to embrace her old friend. "It's been too long."  
  
Hoggle was in disbelief. "But, Sarah, I thought he gots you!"  
  
"He did!" Sarah said, still hugging Hoggle. "But I escaped."  
  
"Escaped?" Hoggle cried, frantic. "He's not going to be very happy! Oh, we're in big trouble now, Sarah."  
  
"Yes. We are." said Hawk, who had appeared out of no where.  
  
"You." snarled Lynda. "You bring us down here and ABANDON us? You- You're- I-"  
  
Hawk grinned mischievously. "Milady, you seem to have a temper. Don't worry, I would have stayed with you, had I known you could not take care of yourself. I be sure to take care of you both next time."  
  
Lynda's mouth dropped open and she stared at the thief, rage radiating out of her. He proceeded to ignore her, and turned to Sarah and Hoggle. "Come. Let's go. We can't stay in one place for too long. The magic lets him know exactly where you are, Sarah, and if he wished to he could-"  
  
"Bring himself there in seconds." The Goblin King slunk out of the shadows. He stopped and crossed his arms.  
  
"Well well, Sarah, it seems to me like you have found yourself some bad company."  
  
Sarah tossed her hair out of her face and tilted her chin stubbornly, glaring at Jareth eye to eye. "None worse then you."  
  
"Really?" Jareth grinned maliciously. "A queen who betrayed her own country not once, but twice. And the thief, who sells out everyone he knows, as long as it suits him. Last, but certainly not least, Hogwart-"  
  
"Hoggle."  
  
"-who by no means is a friend of yours." With that he turns to Hoggle. "You're very loyal to your King, aren't you, Hoggle?"  
  
Hoggle looks down at his feet, his face hidden in the shadows. "Yes, sire."  
  
Jareth turned back to Sarah before Hoggle even finished his sentence. "See, Sarah, you have no friends. No one who cares." He held out his hand to her. "Come with me, back to your home."  
  
Sarah's mind became to cloud up. His hand was so inviting. He surely wouldn't hurt her. He was her only friend. She took a step toward him.  
  
"You're safe with me, Sarah. Away from all the people who hurt you-"  
  
"That's not including yourself, is it, Jareth?" Hawk's voice cut through the thick air like a hot knife through butter.  
  
"Silence, Christo!" Jareth snapped. For a second Sarah's mind was clear, but then it fogged up again, much quicker than the first time.  
  
"Come with me, Sarah. These people don't care about you. I do. I-" A scream of fury cut through the dream. Sarah blinked, and stepped back from the Goblin King. A long knife was protruding from his forearm, hilt-deep. Hawk was back into a fighter's crouch, a knife like the one in the Goblin King in each of his hands.  
  
"Go! Run!" Hawk cried. Jareth rushed towards him, and stumbled. He was losing a lot of blood, and could feel his magic leash on Sarah slipping. He cursed.  
  
"I'll be back!" he yelled shrilly, pain ebbing through each word. "I'll find you, Sarah! You can never hide from me!"  
  
"Shut up." Hawk said, boredom in his voice. The Goblin King glared at him in reply.  
  
"And I'll be repaying you, boy. How does a slow death sound?" with that he disappeared.  
  
"Sound fun, Jareth. I'll see you then." Hawk muttered under his breath. "What am I, suicidal?" He laughed to himself, and turned to follow his companions. 


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own avthing in the Labyrinth. But I had to use it, or else all I'd have would be Hawk running up and down my street, which would be pretty pointless.  
  
A/N: Hey, I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up. I had lost the first part of the chapter, and I really didn't feel like re- writing it, but YAY! I found it, so fun fun fun! Anyway, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, ore even just read.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hawk jogged up to where the others stood. Hoggle sat against the wall, his face red with shame. The other two just stood in the middle of the hall, waiting.  
  
"Have you noticed we seem to be running a lot?", Sarah asked dryly.  
  
"Not my fault." He muttered. "You escape a madman, you run away. It's quite simple, really."  
  
Lynda looked at him coldly. "You're not so. chipper, are you?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Hawk asked warily, slinking to the floor.  
  
"You know what I mean. Christo."  
  
Hawk rolled his eyes. "Oh, boy."  
  
"I recognize that name." Lynda continued.  
  
Hawk looked up at her, his head cocked to the side. "Does it really look like I care?"  
  
"I care."  
  
"That's nice."  
  
"You-"  
  
"Listen, lady-" Hawk sighed, exasperated.  
  
"Your maj-"  
  
Hawk leapt to his feet, standing as much as a foot taller than Lynda. He had his arms crossed, and his fair fell into his face. As he spoke, his voice was a low, throaty growl.  
  
"You really have no clue how annoying you are, do you?" Lynda glared at him, but he had already turn around.  
  
"We stay here for the night."  
  
He walked several paces down the hall and sat-his back to his companions- staring into the distance.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"How does Jareth know you?" Hawk turned to see Sarah standing behind him.  
  
"It's late. You should be sleeping."  
  
"I can't"  
  
She came up and sat next to him.  
  
"He called you Christo." She said softly.  
  
Hawk nodded his head.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's my given name. You don't think my parents named me Hawk, did you?"  
  
Sarah shrugged. "This is a confusing place."  
  
"Not really."  
  
There was silence for a while.  
  
"Are you going to answer my question?"  
  
"I did."  
  
"Not the first one."  
  
"I don't want to answer the first one!" Hawk snapped. "And I don't like questions!"  
  
"I just want to know what I'm dealing with!" Sarah retorted, equally furious.  
  
"He killed them to get to me!" Hawk shouted. Sarah fell silent.  
  
"My wife. my daughters. he had them taken from my home and brought to the castle. And there they were held. then killed.  
  
He let out a lone sob, then regained his composure. "He held them for three days. I was away for seven."  
  
"What. why did he want you?"  
  
"He didn't want me specifically. He want a kept s-. a kept thief. And I AM the best." Like magic, Hawk was back to his normal self- cocky, arrogant, sly. But still a shadow loomed over his face.  
  
"I don't think you're really telling me why he wanted you.  
"That's because I'm not."  
  
"Why not."  
  
Hawk laughed in her face. "It's none of your business."  
  
"I want to know!"  
  
"And I want to forget." He answered, his eyes ice cold. Then he got up and walked away.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Sarah felt a boot tip dig into her side.  
  
"Wake up, Sarah." Hawk said emotionlessly. "It's time to leave."  
  
She stood and followed him. They all walked along the hall, but Hawk kept to the side, knocking on the wall at certain points.  
  
After two hours, a smile crossed his face. "Here we go." He stepped back, the bashed his shoulder against the wall. A clean- cut portion of it fell to the floor, sending p a cloud of dust.  
  
When the dust cleared, the women saw a staircase rise to a trap door on the ceiling.  
  
"Where does it lead to?" Lynda asked. "Hopefully not a thief hideout."  
  
"No, not at all." Hawk grinned. "This is the house of a Mage."  
  
"A Mage!" Lynda laughed. " What is a person as important as a Mage doing associating with a thief?!"  
  
"She has to." Hawk's grin widened. "She's my sister." 


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I don't own any Laby- characters.  
  
A/N: Hey, you're special! I'm putting two up today cause my mind is running off full steam ahead! Woo-hoo! And I also ate four boxes of Gobstoppers and drank three cherry cokes! So I'm on a sugar high! And I just wrote a new story and it's angsty but it was fun and it seems like I'm rambling today! Woo-hoo! And my computer says that angsty isn't a word so -even though many people have used it before me- I'm taking full credit! Because I ate too much sugar!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hawk, Sarah, Lynda and Hoggle crawled through the trapdoor and into what looked to be someone's living room.  
  
"Crysta?" Hawk called out. "Hey, where are you?"  
  
A woman appeared in the doorway. She had long blond hair and ice-blue eyes like Hawk's, and they stared through everyone and everything as if seeing nothing. "Hello, little brother. I've been expecting you since his royal highness paid me a visit."  
  
Concern flashed across Hawk's face. "What did he say?" he questioned, his face tight with fury.  
  
"He asked me if I had seen you lately." She grinned-a grin with the same mischievousness as her little brother's.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And I told him I haven't seem anyone or anything in eighteen years." She snickered.  
  
"You're blind?" Sarah blurted out. Hawk and Lynda both looked at her disapprovingly.  
  
"'course I am. I find it helps my magic better. I can see past the materialistic things and straight into the essence of the world."  
  
Sarah stirred uncomfortably as Hawk laughed.  
  
"Crysta? We need to ask you something."  
  
"You only come to see your sister when you need something, don't you, Christo? It hurts. It really does."  
  
Hawk glared at Sarah and Lynda, and they turned away to look at the draperies more closely.  
  
"You know that's for your own protection, sister." He growled.  
  
"Of course, of course. I'm sorry for getting you upset." Crysta smiled at her brother. "I've forgotten that you've lost your sense of humor."  
  
"I still have my sense of humor!" He exclaimed.  
  
"Of course, of course. But now it's overshadowed by worry and concern."  
  
Hawk's eyes widened, and Crysta changed the subject quickly.  
  
"What do you need to know, brother?"  
  
"We need to know what the key is."  
  
Crysta cocked an eyebrow. "The key? What for?"  
  
"To free the girl."  
  
"I know to free the girl. I'm no idiot. But why do you want to free the girl?"  
  
Hawk was silent for a while.  
  
"Is because you would do anything to spite the Goblin King?"  
  
Hawk kept silent.  
  
"You need to figure out what the consequences are of your decision, Christo. You need to think of that before you act."  
  
"I didn't free her. What was I supposed to do, sister? Leave her and her mother to be captured by the goblins and taken back to our favorite monarch?"  
  
Crysta sighed. "Girl. Come here."  
  
Sarah crept shyly over.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Sarah."  
  
Crysta grasped Sarah's wrists and positioned her thumbs over the girl's pulse. Sarah gasped as she felt a burst of energy burn its way through her veins. Her ears rang and her vision blurred as the powerful mage's magic flowed through her. A vision formed I her mind- twists and turns through the Labyrinth at inhuman speeds. And suddenly it all stopped in a small, golden room, empty except for a silver and sapphire sword resting on an alter in the middle. Then everything went black and she collapsed in a dead faint, and Hawk caught her and turned to lay her on the couch. 


	7. Chapter Sevem

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Labyrinth.  
  
A/N: This is the last chapter to STEALING THE KEY. Luckily for you, though, it's six pages long. Or unluckily for you, if that's a bad thing. But for me it's not! HEHEHEHEHEHE!  
  
CHAPTER SEVEN:  
  
"You shouldn't have pushed all that magic into her."  
  
Sarah moaned and raised a hand to her forehead. Her blood was humming in her veins.  
  
"She's not used to magic, and her body's definitely not used to such powerful magic in such big doses."  
  
"Well, you should have told me that, little brother."  
  
"I figured you knew, O all-seeing one."  
  
"Grow up, you two." Lynda's voice cut through the air.  
  
"Sorry, your majesty." Crysta and Hawk said in unison.  
  
Sarah blacked out again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She awakened as Hawk shook her shoulders. "'s time to get up. We can't take too long here."  
  
Sarah groaned, then stood and her head spinned. She shut her eyes tightly and the room formed in her mind once more.  
  
"So what is it?" She opened her eyes to see Hawk, Crysta and Lynda staring at her intently.  
  
"A sword. A silver sword with sapphire gems."  
  
"That's the key?" Lynda asked, surprised. "A sword is the key?"  
  
"Not an ordinary sword," Crysta put in tiredly. "It's the Sword of Element."  
  
Hawk and Lynda were silent.  
  
"What? What does that mean?" Sarah asked, wide-eyed.  
  
Lynda shot Hawk and Crysta a look. "Nothing. It's just a sword. Nothing more."  
  
"Then what am I-" Sarah was cut off by Crysta, who handed her a cup full of clear, blue liquid.  
  
"Drink it all at once." She instructed in a no- nonsense voice.  
  
Sarah threw back her head and gulped it down, and immediately felt as if she were in shock. The liquid was like ice, and it seemed to freeze her insides all at once.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" she gasped for breath.  
  
"Chamin." Crysta said simply.  
  
"And what the hell is that?!"  
  
"It's a healing potion. You will find you have regained your energy once the shock wears off."  
  
"Shock. If that was shock." she trailed off, for lack of anything to say to end her expression.  
  
Hawk stood, "Well, sister dearest-"  
  
"Don't be pert, boy."  
  
They both grinned. "We're going now."  
  
"Alright. Good-bye. You know the way out."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
Hawk moved to leave, then stopped. He bent down and embraced his sister, then left without saying another word. The others followed him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was an easy task for Sarah to find the door to the golden room. Her legs moved practically on their own- she was just a tourist along for the ride.  
  
"So this is the door?" Hawk asked.  
  
"Yeah, it is." Sarah said nonchalantly.  
  
"Well?" Lynda asked.  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"Well did my sister somehow show you how to open it?"  
  
"Uh.no. The door was opened when I saw it."  
  
"Peachy." Hawk turned around at a thump behind him. Hoggle was scampering off.  
  
"Hey! Where d'you think you're going you little runt?" Hawk yelled, and grabbed Hoggle by the back of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.  
  
"Lemme go!" Hoggle squirmed in Hawk's grasp.  
  
"Hawk! Put him down!" Hawk ignored Sarah and continued to glare at the dwarf.  
  
"Please! I can't go in there!" Hoggle stopped suddenly.  
  
"Why not?" Hawk growled.  
  
Hoggle averted his eyes and mumbled something.  
  
"WHY NOT?!" Hawk yelled.  
  
"I can't tell you! I'm not allowed!" Hoggle yelled back.  
  
Hawk dropped the dwarf to the ground. "Then go back to your precious monarch, since that's where your loyalties lie."  
  
Hoggle ran off without a single look back.  
  
Sarah glared at Hawk. 'What did you do that for?" she hissed, her voice furious.  
  
"He's not on our side, Sarah."  
  
"But we might need his help!" the girl protested.  
  
Hawk glared back at her. "Just open the door."  
  
She opened her mouth to tell him that she had no clue how she was supposed to open this door when Hawk grabbed her hand and held it to a square on the door. The ground trembled and Sarah's hand began to get warm. She tried to yank her hand away, but Hawk held her to the door.  
  
The earth gave one last shudder, and all was still. The door slid slowly to welcome its visitors.  
  
"Be careful." Hawk whispered as the trio walked through the door.  
  
"Careful of what?" she whispered back. 'And why are we whispering."  
  
Because of me., purred a voice- no. Not a voice. It was more like pictures forming words echoing in her head. Hawk and Lynda froze alongside her.  
  
A laugh echoed in the room. Turn around, children. See me.  
  
Hawk was the first to turn, and he took an involuntary step back. Sarah and Lynda both gasped when they made eye contact with. it.  
  
At first, Sarah's mind registered it as a lizard. But seconds later it spread its wings menacingly and, dumbfounded, she realized that she- a mortal- beheld a dragon.  
  
Foolish children. the voice echoed in her head. You want my key. No one's ever gotten my key. It's MINE! And it always shall be mine.  
  
"We need it." Hawk growled.  
  
The dragon stared at Hawk, along with the women. It made eye contact with the man- Hawk was tiny compared to it. Then it laughed- a slow, mocking laugh.  
  
You companions don't know what you are, do they little one?  
  
Lynda looked at him. "What you are?"  
  
Behold! And they looked as Hawk began to. melt. A black substance flowed over him limbs, and hid knees buckled backwards. His hands and feet melted into. paws. Sarah watched as he completed the change into the same black wolf she had seen several weeks ago.  
  
"He's a shifter." Lynda sneered.  
  
Yes. Not only is your friend a thief- the scum of the human world-but he's a shifter, too! The scum of both worlds in one lone man. the dragon laughed harshly once more. That's just too preci- A scream of pain and fury cut off his next words.  
  
A cut appeared on the dragon's hind quarters, bleeding ebony blood onto ebony scales. The dragon howled in fury as it beheld Lynda, with two of the lethal wood-knives in her hand- the pride of her kingdom.  
  
Woman! The dragon lunged towards Lynda, but Hawk- still in wolf form- leapt and clamped his teeth around the dragon's throat.  
  
The monster reeled, blending itself and Hawk into a blur of black fur and black scales. Hawk refused to let go and thrashed- as to rip out the creature's throat.  
  
"Sarah! Get the sword!" Lynda yelled as she struck the dragon again. Sarah stood still, her mind struck dumb. At another scream of pain from the dragon- followed by a human scream of pain- she run foreword and grabbed the hilt of the sword.  
  
The silver burned her hand when first grasped, but she gritted her teeth and held tight.  
  
MINE! The dragon had turned to Sarah when it felt the sword be removed from the alter. The sword and her sword arm glowed brightly as the dragon turned on her- Hawk now gone from its throat. She let out a warrior cry and lunged foreword, driving the Sword of Element hilt-deep into the dragon's chest.  
  
It looked at the sword, then at Sarah, then fell, dead.  
  
Sarah pulled the sword from the body then stood there, looking at the beautiful silver sword covered with midnight black blood.  
  
"Sarah." She turned to see Hawk crouching over her mother.  
  
"Sarah. She's dead."  
  
Hawk lifted Lynda's head to show the other side of her face, torn and drenched with her blood.  
  
Sarah turned away and threw up, retching.  
  
She felt Hawk come up behind her and hold her hair back as her body responded to all the death.  
  
They were silent. Then Hawk spoke once more. "We'll bury her, and then use the key."  
  
"What do you mean by 'use the key'?" Sarah gasped, breathing heavily.  
  
"The Sword of Element is the only sword that can kill a Fae."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's the end of this story in the trilogy! I'm so EVIL!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! But I had to get Lynda out of the was so Sarah and Hawk can fall in love..................................................MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Nah, I'm just kidding. Sarah and Hawk aren't going to fall in love, Hawk loves me!!! Nah, just kidding again. I'm sitting here in Creative Writing group at school, and everyone's been staring at me (everyone meaning the Writing group and the Yearbook geeks) as I laughed evilly while writing this chapter. I'm gonna laugh evilly just to scare them again. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  
  
It's just so much fun! 


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